When it first hit Netflix in 2021, Sweet Tooth instantly became one of the more beloved shows on the streaming service. Set in a dystopian future in which a virus has wiped out most of humanity and also created a new species, the series is essentially a lone wolf and cub story in which a gruff protector must defend a child who is being hunted.
That kind of story shouldn’t feel unfamiliar to anyone experienced with the world of science fiction, and in fact, there are plenty of great shows you can watch that have plenty in common with Sweet Tooth. Here are five shows you can check out when you’re all caught up on the first season, as well as the new season that’s just hit Netflix.
The Last of Us (2023)
Both Sweet Tooth and The Last of Us take place in worlds transformed by a plague, but The Last of Us definitely has a more nihilistic streak than Sweet Tooth. Still, the fundamental dynamics of the stories, which follow a gruff older man on a journey with a young companion, are the same. The careful worldbuilding behind both series makes The Last of Us a natural follow-up, and although it’s a slightly darker series than Sweet Tooth, it may be just what you’re looking for if you loved the show.
Shadow and Bone (2021)
Set in a world of high fantasy, Shadow and Bone is a much more sprawling show than Sweet Tooth, but has the same swashbuckling feel. It’s also, like Sweet Tooth, a world in which people are both feared and revered because they are born different from one another.
Although the plotting mechanics of Shadow and Bone are quite different than those of Sweet Tooth, it shares the same sense of scope. It’s a bit like if you mixed a show like Sweet Tooth with something more along the lines of Game of Thrones.
The Mandalorian (2019)
Another lone wolf and cub story, The Mandalorian is at its best when it is following its titular character as he travels with and protects Grogu, one of the most adorable creatures in all of science fiction.
The Mandalorian is set in a much more established universe than Sweet Tooth, but one of the great things about the show is the way it travels to corners of that world that may be unfamiliar to more casual Star Wars fans. As is the case with Sweet Tooth, an element of The Mandalorian‘s appeal is in exploration of a fascinating world that is both similar and different from our own.
His Dark Materials (2019)
Although the people who love the books have been more mixed on the TV adaptation, His Dark Materials is an ideal series to check out if you’re longing for more Sweet Tooth-like viewing.
The series follows Lyra, a young girl who lives in a version of Oxford that is unrecognizable to us. She is accompanied by a daemon, a talking animal that is also a part of her. Eventually, Lyra finds herself wrapped up in a plan to kill god, but His Dark Materials is really about what it means to grow up, and it has plenty of great worldbuilding on top of it that makes it all the more compelling.
Station Eleven (2021)
Set in a world where disease has killed off the vast majority of the population, Station Eleven is really about finding meaning in a world that has been utterly transformed from the one we know. The worlds of Sweet Tooth and Station Eleven feel like cousins, connected by their willingness to reimagine spaces and ways of living.
One of the themes of Station Eleven, which is that “survival is insufficient,” is also infused in Sweet Tooth. Both are stories about the need that every person has for joy and wonder, even in a world that has been completely destroyed.
